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JeffNEWS, July 12, 1994
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A Toast to Water
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Water is back in vogue, as you can see from the number and variety
of bottled water products on supermarket shelves. But don't drink it
simply because it's the trendy thing to do. Drinking six to eight
glasses a day can be important for many reasons, according to
Jefferson's Barb Whedon, RD, nutrition and dietetics, and Gail
DiGiambattista, manager of health awareness.
* Water is part of your body's cooling system.
* Water is pure, in that it has no calories, sugar, stimulants,
depressants or chemical additives. It's an ideal diet aid, filling
your stomach without adverse effects.
* Water protects your skin. It can help ward off wrinkles by
promoting skin elasticity.
* Water helps digestion. It is a natural laxative and can help
prevent kidney stones.
* Every day, you lose two to three quarts of water - even if you
aren't particularly active. Without enough water, you may become
dizzy, get a headache, lose energy or become irritable. So, drink
a tall glass of water - to your health!
Summer Eye Care Tips
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Jack B. Jeffers, MD, director of emergency services at Wills Eye
Hospital, offers a few summer eye care tips to prevent accidents and
keep your eyes healthy while enjoying the pleasures of the season.
"Some summertime activities, such as playing softball, lying in the
sun or even mowing the grass, carry certain risks to the eyes," explains
Dr. Jeffers. "But by taking a few precautions, those risks can be
avoided."
He strongly recommends the following when enjoying the sun:
* Apply sun care products, lotions and creams carefully. These
products can cause conjunctivitis or keratitis (inflammation of
the cornea), so never place them on the eyelids or directly
around the eyes where the heat can melt them and cause them to
run into the eyes. If this happens, wash your eyes out immediately
with clear water or a commercial eye wash in a squirt bottle.
* Wear sunglasses outdoors during the day, even if it's hazy. The
long-term effects of the sun's ultraviolet rays are thought to be
detrimental, so ophthalmologists agree that it's a good idea to wear
sunglasses when outdoors during the day. Choose quality sunglasses
that screen out 95 to 100 percent of the ultraviolet light.
Topical Medication Has Deeper Effects
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In this summertime season of itches and rashes, keep in mind that
medications applied to the skin can have a systemic effect if used in
large doses.
"You may think that because a medicine is topical, it won't have an
internal effect, even if you spread it all over your skin," says Henry
S. Fraimow, MD, assistant director of the division of infectious
diseases at Jefferson. "But steroids can suppress your immune system if
you take them for long periods of time."
Dr. Fraimow's advice to patients who have skin rashes and are using a
steroid cream, such as hydrocortisone, is to consult their physician if
the rash persists over several weeks. "Because of their concern over
potential toxicity of steroids, doctors don't prescribe steroids by
mouth for long periods of time unless there's a clear reason for it,"
Dr. Fraimow explains. "So for the same reason, if your symptoms are
severe enough to warrant prolonged use of topical steroids, it's a good
idea to consult your physician."
Smoke Gets in Your Eyes
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Need another reason to quit smoking? The Amercian Optometric
Association says that smokers develop macular degeneration (a gradual
decrease of vision and the leading cause of blindness in people over 60)
seven years before nonsmokers.
Safety for Kids: A Hot Topic for Summer
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Fair weather brings kids outside to ride their bikes, play in the
woods and swim in ponds and creeks. Alan T. Forstater, MD, an emergency
medicine specialist at Jefferson, urges parents to make sure their kids
take extra safety precautions this time of year.
"Kids should have reflectors and lights on their bikes and wear
helmets when riding," says Dr. Forstater. "Parents and kids should agree
on designated areas for bike riding and even for playing. Children must
be advised to never dive in creeks, ponds and surf, and to only swim in
those places when there is an adult supervising them."
Safety precautions also apply to everyday life indoors:
* Keep all medications in cabinets separate from food and out of
reach of children.
* Throw out any medicine that has expired.
* Place safety gates at the top and bottom of stairs for young
children.
* When cooking, place boiling pots at the back of the stove.
* Always keep a first-aid kit in the house.
* Keep a fire extinguisher handy in the house and the car.
* Post emergency numbers on the refrigerator or near the phone.
When You're Looking for the Best Physician, Where Do You Turn?
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In "The Best Doctors in America" (Woodward/White, 1994), Jefferson is
one of the two Delaware Valley medical centers with the most physicians
listed. Of the two medical centers, Jefferson has a proprotionally
higher percentage of physicians who subspecialize in cancer.
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Information provided by: Editor, JeffNEWS
(215) 955-6204
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